The ASU women’s soccer team is looking to put the past behind them as they head into the weekend with games against Long Beach State on Friday and Pepperdine on Sunday.
ASU coach Kevin Boyd said the No. 21 Sun Devils (6-1-1) have worked hard to put last Sunday’s lopsided 5-0 loss to Central Florida behind them, and he expects to see the brand of soccer that has seen them score 19 goals in eight games.
“It was mental,” Boyd said of the disappointing weekend. “If it’s the same players, then it’s in their heads.”
Sophomore forward Sierra Cook said the team needs to continue to focus on the possession game.
“We just have to play our game again,” Cook said. “We kind of got out of that last weekend, so we have to pick it up and get back into the way we had been playing.”
LBSU only boasts a 6-3-1 record, but has already upset two ranked teams in Washington State and Virginia Tech.
ASU senior forward Jill Shoquist said the 49ers should provide a tough test.
“They’re going to be technically better than some of the teams we’ve played, but they’re going to be just as tough as a team like Baylor,” Shoquist said. “They’re going to knock you on the ground and make sure you know that they’re there.”
Sophomore forward Nadia Link leads the 49ers in scoring with six goals on the season and junior forward Nicole Sweetman was recently named Big West Women's Soccer Offensive Co-Player of the Week.
The only other time the two teams have met was in 2008, where ASU won 1-0 on a goal from senior forward Karin Volpe.
Against PU (5-3-1), Shoquist said the Sun Devils expect a pretty equal matchup.
“Pepperdine’s a good team,” Shoquist said. “They’re very similar to us in the style that they play. So every opportunity we get, we need to make sure it’s dangerous.”
Junior defender Kari Shane agreed.
“They keep the ball on the ground and they play at a fast pace,” Shane said. “We’re expecting to have good competition.”
The Sun Devils’ only win against the Waves came last year on a goal from Shoquist. ASU is 1-4-2 against PU all-time.
As for back-to-back weekends away from home, Shane said that shouldn’t be a problem.
“I think every game you take it the same,” Shane said. “It’s a big weekend and we need to win this weekend.”
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
